My blog likes to tell stories

Tag Archives: Teddy Bears Picnic

Well, two weeks after My Homework ate my blog… I still haven’t written another one. So, I was sort of faced with three choices this week :

1) Do nothing
2) Write another poem about why I have no blog this week (and slowly start turning it into a blog of poems about not blogging)
3) Post what I have been working on, which is a puppet show for the Teddy Bears’ Picnic my daughter’s school is having on Sunday. (I had to write the ten minute script for them, make the puppets and props and rehearse everybody – hence no blog).

So I’ve chosen option 3 and posted the script for an enthralling tale entitled “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” below. (Well, with any luck it might be enthralling for 3-7 year olds. I guess I’ll find out on Sunday…)

CHIP
I think I’d have more fun on my own. I’ll go into the forest to play by myself.

CHIP starts to head to towards his side stage exit.

NARRATOR
But you can’t do that, Chip!

CHIP
(STOPPING)
Why not?

NARRATOR
Because… a big bad tiger lives in the forest. Remember? I wouldn’t go in there by yourself, if I were you.

CHIP
A big bad tiger in the forest? There is not.

NARRATOR
Yes, there is. He’s mean and terrifying. And you just shouldn’t go in there. You should stay here, so we can all get on with the story we’re supposed to tell.

CHIP
I don’t believe you. I’m going anyway.

NARRATOR
Well, I think you’ll end up being very sorry about that.

CHIP
I don’t care.

DAISY, DOLLY and CHARLIE shake their heads as CHIP heads off stage.

NARRATOR
(ANNOYED)
So, Chip went off into the forest, I guess. And apparently the script just went out the window. (CALLING AFTER CHIP) I wonder if Big Ted from Playschool is this difficult to work with?

CHIP
(OFFSTAGE)
I don’t care.

NARRATOR
Goodness me!

DAISY, DOLLY and CHARLIE and all the other picnic props disappear from the stage.

CHIP returns to centre stage from one side.

CHIP
Hey! Isn’t this great? I’ve got the whole forest to myself now. I can run…

CHIP ‘runs’ back and forth across the stage.

CHIP
…and jump…

CHIP ‘jumps’ up and down.

CHIP
… and SHOUT! We know there’s not really any tiger out here, don’t we?

The TIGER starts to sneak up on CHIP (hopefully prompting a reaction from the kids. Or a PLANTED adult in the audience might help prompt one).

CHIP
What? What’s wrong?

CHIP waits for an audience response to his question, with the TIGER still sneaking up and preparing to pounce.

CHIP
The tiger?! Where?

As soon as CHIP looks around for the TIGER, the TIGER ducks down (BELOW STAGE) and hides.

CHIP
(TURNING BACK TO THE AUDIENCE)
What tiger? There’s no tiger. You’re seeing things.

The TIGER starts to sneak up on CHIP again (hopefully) prompting an audience reaction to let CHIP know about the TIGER again.

CHIP
Really? There is a tiger?!

The TIGER is almost right beside CHIP when CHIP finally looks around the stage, and narrowly misses seeing the TIGER, who ducks below stage.

CHIP turns back to the audience.

CHIP
Are you trying to trick me? Because I don’t see any tiger.

The TIGER starts to creep up on CHIP once more, prompting more appeals to CHIP to look out for him from the audience.

CHIP
No, I’m not going to look this time. You can’t fool me again.

The TIGER is getting closer and bearing down on CHIP, almost right beside him.

CHIP
Okay! This is the very last time I look.

CHIP briefly glances at the TIGER beside him and then back the audience, before he suddenly jolts in realisation, and turns back towards back towards the TIGER shaking.

TIGER
GRRRrrrrrr!!

CHIP
Aaarrrgh!

CHIP ‘runs’ across the stage and off sidestage with the TIGER chasing behind him (and also following offstage).

CHIP ‘runs’ back onstage (from the same side of stage he just exited) and across to the opposite side, with the TIGER still chasing along behind. They both run off sidestage.

CHIP and the TIGER make one more pass across the stage (entering from the side they just exited and running off side stage on the opposite side).

CHIP ‘runs’ back on from side stage and the TIGER ‘runs’ on stage towards him from the opposite side of the stage. They bump into each other in the middle of the stage.

CHIP
Aaarrrgh!

TIGER
GRRrrrr!!

CHIP
Please, don’t hurt me, Mr Tiger!

TIGER
I’m not going to hurt you.

CHIP
Phew! What a relief.

TIGER
I’m just going to eat you.

CHIP
No! No, you can’t eat me!

TIGER
I most certainly can. I’m a tiger and you’re in my forest. I can do whatever I like. And besides it’s lunchtime.

CHIP
(WAILS)
But that’s not fair!

TIGER
Fair?! I don’t care. Now stand still so I can take a nice juicy bite out of you.

CHIP
Noooooooo!

CHARLIE
(FROM OFFSTAGE)
Wait just a minute, Mr Tiger.

DAISY, DOLLY and CHARLIE come onstage from one side carrying the PICNIC BASKET.

DAISY
If you’re hungry we have a lovely picnic basket of food you might prefer.

TIGER
Hmmm. What have you got in there?

The TIGER looks inside the PICNIC BASKET.

TIGER
Let’s see… Some cheese and ham and tomato rolls, and grapes and popcorn and (GASPS) chocolate cake! My favourite! I have to admit that sounds a whole lot yummier than raw teddy bear. I’ll have this instead.

The TIGER carries the PICNIC BASKET off side stage.

NARRATOR
And so Daisy, Dolly and Charlie saved their friend Chip from the tiger. And Chip said thank you to them. Didn’t you, Chip?

CHIP
Yes, I really did – do. Thank you! Thank you so much for saving me. I’m very grateful to you all.

NARRATOR
And, so…

CHIP
And I’m so sorry for being naughty and unfair before. And for ruining the picnic.

NARRATOR
So, the…

CHIP
So the thing I’ve decided to do, is to make us all some more food for another picnic tomorrow. (BOWING HIS HEAD, ASHAMED) If you would all like to come along, that is.

DAISY
I’d love to.

DOLLY
Me, too.

CHARLIE
We’ll all come along, Chip. What a nice idea.

NARRATOR
And that…was the end of the story. And a very nice ending to the story it is, too, Chip.